(a) Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to a driving assembly for motor wheels, and more particularly to an improvement in a clutch device wherein an axle of the wheel remains immobile.
(b) Description of the Prior Art:
The inventor of the present invention previously filed an application in the United States on Aug. 5, 1994 under Ser. No. 08286349 for a wheel driving assembly wherein the wheels are driven by an induced electromagnetic field and the axle of the wheel remains immobile. Such a wheel driving assembly is suited for vehicles driving up slopes or travelling at low speeds.
The above-mentioned previous invention provides a comprehensive design to solve existing drawbacks in electric wheels. Said invention includes a rotary printed-circuit board type conductive plate which acts as a commutator so that the outer peripheral winding coils may obtain power supply. The above-mentioned invention includes a feature which is unprecedented in the art, that is, the arrangement of a stator on the axle and which may rotate with a rotor in the hub to interrupt the electromagnetic field induction between the stator and the rotor if necessary, in occasions such as the batteries are depleted and the vehicle has to be pushed manually. Hence, a clutch device is disposed in the immobile portion of the axle and the stator to control rotation of the stator. In the previous invention, a drum type brake element is used as the clutch device to stop the stator from rotating. In such a configuration, the clutch device controls the stator by means of radial movements. The present invention, however, provides a clutch device which controls movement of the rotor by means of axial movements. If occasions arise, the rotor (inner wheel frame) may not rotate with the hub (outer wheel frame).